Attack of the Attacking Things

Third Earth;
2002

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While snooping around the Internet for some info to supplement what I already knew about Jean Grae, I kept
running into the same line: "this is a great album, for a female." Personally, that sounds a bit condescending
to me. After all, isn't it unfair to have one set of standards for males and another for females? Another
reason why this is insulting is that the qualifier isn't necessary; Jean Grae may be a little rough, but
when she spits she can stand toe-to-toe with the best of 'em.

Witness "Love Song": over a slow and slinky beat supplied by the Beatminaz's Evil Dee, Jean weaves a
bittersweet tale of one-sided relationships. It's a sensitive, emotionally raw narrative that trudges
through betrayal and disillusionment. "I thought it was gold when it was only gold-plated," she raps at
one point. When the chorus states, "But this is still a love song," you're not sure whether it's
victorious, resigning or both. One thing that is certain, though: the track displays an emotional
honesty and complexity that's rare in any genre, and particularly underground hip-hop.

Another lyrical standout on the album is "God's Gift", where Jean sardonically affects the voice of a
misogynist male rap star. Over a string sample, she intones, "Another day, another hustle/ You're not
different/ I'm not the daddy to your children... Listen, the only position you fill is pussy gettin'."
Two interposed samples serve as the chorus, declaring, "Bitch, play your position." Hearing a female
spit these typically misogynistic lines is both revelatory and humbling. It elevates the objectified
female and gives her a voice, and then spits the offending words back at you like a dagger. This isn't
the only place where Jean drops serious knowledge; the song "Block Party" is anything but. Over a cooing
female vocal sample, Grae paints a bleak picture of asbestos-filled classrooms, virtual ghetto imprisonment,
and shallow materialism.

Considering everything that works on this album, I'd like to give it a higher rating than 6.9. Unfortunately,
much of the album's production barely reaches mediocrity. In the liner notes, Jean acknowledges that the
mixdown is horrible (due to noise-sensitive neighbors) and apologizes for it, but great albums aren't built
on apologies. And even if the tracks were better mixed, a good number of her beats still wouldn't pay off.
There are exceptions, but often the production is repetitive, flat, and generic. With that said, Grae shows
a lot of potential. If she can tweak out her sound a bit, and put a little more effort into her flow,
she'll shine for years to come.